Talk the Walk
by Incognito Indigo
Summary: There was a very good reason for why Roxas suddenly found himself working as a sex-hotline worker at the start of college...too bad that reason was turning into a certain caller - who sounded like a certain student in one of his classes?  AU: Axel/Roxa
1. JUST FAKE IT

**Indigo:** Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing. When I was writing this story, thoughts like that were frighteningly frequent. And hurrah for first-person!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or sex-hotlines…**

o.O.o

**CHAPTER 1: JUST FAKE IT**

o.O.o

My life is a series of misunderstandings and overblown situations.

Think that's an exaggeration?

Okay.

I'm going to tell you about my crazy older brother - _who looks just like me._

Then I'm going to tell you about his awkward, but drop dead gorgeous, boyfriend - _who babysits me._

And don't forget about that random, stalker, creepy caller guy - _who I get paid to talk to._

But oh, I haven't even told you about my job yet, now have I?

Here's a sneak peak:

"Oh god, don't s-stop…"

"_**Well I don't plan on stopping anytime soon, baby."**_

"Please, please…._ohhh._"

"_**Nhh, I hope you know what you're asking for, Destiny…Mhhhh, because you're about to get it."**_

"_Ohhhhh!"_

That's right. I get paid to moan in a microphone all day. I'm a sex-hotline worker. I sit in a recording booth, put the headphones on, turn the mic up, and just start faking it.

Usually the sex-talk starters get a script of generic things to say like:

"_Ohhh god, give it to me h-harder!"_

But I've been doing this for a few weeks now so I'm pretty set on improvisation. I know when to turn the volume up and when to start panting like I haven't drank anything but the other guy's pathetic lies all day.

Hey, it beats being a receptionist. That was my last job.

It's not really a big transition though. Instead of picking up the phone and asking them who they'd like to talk to, I'm asking them who they like to do.

Is it the boy next door that just moved in? A student asking his teacher for some afterschool help, maybe some sex-tra credit? Or how about that guy who sits behind you in chemistry class? If you give me his traits and personality, I bet I can imitate him for you. Would his moan sound like this – _ooooohh_ – or like this – ooo_ohhhhhhh_ – just tell me. I can do it. And then you can do him.

But you're never going to do Roxas Stunderton.

The actual guy on the other line. The one who's paycheck depends on how well he licks that microphone for you. And one of these days he's gonna accidently electrocute himself like that.

Roxas Stunderton.

That's me.

But when I'm in this booth with my heart on the phone line and my dignity in the gutter, I'm just "Destiny." Or host number 13. Take your pick. Do you want me to be a name or a number? Just don't ask me to be a person.

And you know the front of my teeth is getting a bit chipped because all these guys with bite fetishes keep calling in. And against my pearly whites - this microphone is a tough customer.

Oh hey, this guy is about to come. Hold on a second okay?

"_Ohhhhh, god! Ooohhhhh!"_

"_**Destiny….you're so good at this, baby…"**_

"Fuck_, I'm coming!"_

"_**Then come for me baby, I wanna hear you scream for me…"**_

"_Ahhhhh!"_

Okay fine, so _I _came first. But you know what? A lot of guys out there are pretty macho about this whole orgasming business. It's like they feel all threatened about their masculinity if the receiver doesn't come first or something. Like I'm supposed to be getting so much more pleasure out of this than I'm giving them. Well fuck that.

Or me.

But if it's the latter you're gonna have to pay a fee.

That rhymed. I could be poet. Or a singer. Or a goddamn receptionist. Because really, the only reason I got that last job was because they liked my voice. I guess that's the only reason why I got this job, too.

Because you wanna know a secret?

I'm actually a virgin.

But I've done it enough times on the phone that I know what people want, and I know what to give them. And I know what you're thinking. This is sick. You're sick. Your entire life is sham because you sleep with guys for a living, and you claim you're still a virgin, and by the way you're gay, so you're gonna burn in hell anyway.

Haha, see that? More rhymes.

And here's another secret.

I'm. Not. Gay.

I know. You probably want to stop reading now. You're like, fuck this shit! And fuck you too, but you're not worth the pay! But hold on there for a second, I'm not being completely honest.

But then again, what more do you expect from a guy who makes a living by lying to people?

Here's the truth: I'm bi-sexual.

Or maybe I'm _buy_-sexual. _Buy_ my time, and I'll get _sexual_. Get it? Maybe I'll add stand-up comedian to my list of potential jobs. But for that I'll need both my voice and looks. And my humor's getting kinda jaded by now anyways….

Okay, last surprise of the day. Wanna guess how old I am? How old is this sex god with a receiver? Who exactly is this prepubescent sounding boy on the line? Is he really even a boy – or is he really just a very, very butch girl?

Nah, I'm just playing. I'm totally a boy.

It'd be a lot harder to get off during calls if I wasn't.

Just saying.

But now you're probably curious about my age. You probably think I'm in my mid-twenties. A guy who got laid off and now he's resorting to some dirty adult industry entertainment. This sad, single, bachelor has found a way to get his kicks and his paycheck at the same time. Oh, what has society done to you?

Or maybe you think I'm like…twelve. Because that's how old most guys think I am. They're all like, man I didn't ask for a twelve year old. This isn't breaking some legal rule is it? I mean you're not really twelve right? I can still fuck you?

Trust me, I only sound like a twelve year old girl on the phone.

But in reality, I am actually an eighteen year old boy.

Yeah, eighteen.

As in, I just finished high school. And now I'm going to go to college and I've got my own apartment. Oh, and did I mention I have to pay my own rent, utilities, tuition, and a bunch of textbooks I bet I won't even open?

Well actually that's because I don't really need to pay for all that. My parents are paying for half of my tuition and half of my rent. The other half? I've got to work for it. It's always been this way. I've got an older brother, and between the two of us, my parents always paid for half of everything we did. They always figured we'd be able to come up with the rest on our own – or at least help each other out on it.

Goddammit, I'm rambling. But you know what? They were right, to an extent.

Because that extent was ruined when Sora decided to not spend his sophomore year at PauPu University anymore. The same college that I was going to be enrolled in this fall. The same academic institution that I was always complaining about and saying how I wasn't looking forward to sharing it with Sora - because as brothers who are only one year apart - we're almost always in the same school together.

So then when Sora decided to study abroad…I mean I guess it wasn't just out of the blue.

He had been talking about it a lot. I mean becoming an astronaut was something he _always_ talked about. (Although back in the day we called it becoming a space ranger.) But I never really thought he'd up and…you know…apply for a space pre-program one year in some foreign country that only NASA knows about to learn about whatever god-knows-rocket-science….

I mean if Lance Bass couldn't become an astronaut, what made my brother think he could?

Except…he could.

Sora could always do the things he wanted to do.

And I would always just…you know, sit in his shadow all day. I guess I always have been.

It's like we're both outside and I'm sitting down in the grass and he's standing above me and covering me with his shadow. And then he's puffing his chest out and saying to not look at the sun because it'll hurt and he's the big brother so it's his job to protect me and blah blah blah. I'm trying to get up but he's pushing me back down.

And I'm complaining. _Sora, how can I grow if you're always holding me down? How will I know what I can or can't do if you won't let me look straight ahead? How will I know if I never get burned?_

But Sora never listens to me.

So to this day I'm still sitting on the ground, pulling up pieces of grass and throwing them into lit patches of land. Staring at the sun-blessed places that I can't go to, but apparently broken blades of grass can.

Hey, at least all these customers are listening to me.

Not that I really want them to. Not that I really have a choice.

Huh, and now I'm ranting. Look at what you made me do.

I'm eighteen and I'm living in my brother's unused apartment while he's off in space camp. I'm a teenage boy but I sound like a preteen girl. I'm a former receptionist, a current sex-talker, and maybe one day a future singer.

I'm just a guy sitting in this recording booth purring into a microphone and asking you if you're hard yet.

I'm Roxas Stunderton.

And it's time you've met Destiny.

o.O.o

**Indigo:** What am I doing.

I feel like that should be a statement by now instead of a question, after so many times of asking myself. Haha, I have other stories to update but here I go and…

Anyways, wow, first time I tried doing first person! That was exciting. Should I keep going? If you say yes, I'll set myself straight and work on plot and stuff. But if you say no, it won't be the first time I've hit a dead end.

Review?


	2. CALLER NUMBER EIGHT

**Indigo:** Back by popular demand, I present to you the second chapter of something I wrote when I should have been studying.

**Disclaimer:** I wish I could make this stuff up, but Disney and SquareEnix beat me to it…

o.O.o

**CHAPTER 2: CALLER NUMBER EIGHT**

o.O.o

Good morning. You've reached Sunshine Recording, how may I help you?

Haha, just kidding. That was my last job.

My new one kinda goes like, "Oh Danny, how was work? Oh you look so tense, here take your jacket off. I'll give you a massage – how about on that couch over there?"

Yeah, I don't know why I always get the role-playing guys.

But I spent my teenage years playing RPG's so I'm glad it didn't all go to waste….although I never thought I'd be using it for something like _this._

Regardless, "Danny" was ten minutes ago. He didn't last long. Something about a Lolita fetish and I can get my voice to go up pretty high. He's so easy, it's like playing on easy mode with handicaps and a strategy guide.

And now I'm taking a break, which is technically not allowed. I'm supposed to be doing calls one after another since I get paid a flat rate by the hour - and I get bonuses per costumer.

Two bonuses so far. And hopefully my third one will be that "regular" that calls in every night I'm here. And I mean _every_ night. He's yet to miss a single night. Right on the dot at 8:00PM. Yup, that's him.

Except now it's 8:05PM.

That whore…He's making me wait. And I'm losing money waiting for him too…

I swivel around on my stool like a little kid to just kill time for a while. There's a desk in this recording booth and I find myself fiddling mindlessly with the things on it. The office laptop, their soundboard, a box of tissues, some bottles of water, and a box of "props." Nothing out of the ordinary. There's also a trash can underneath it…you can guess what that's used for.

All our work areas are designed to look like a normal office inside of a recording booth. Which makes it kinda awkward for some of the other workers. (Because who wants to jerk off at work…oh wait, that's what I do all the time. Hahaha.) But I'm used to it now. It just feels like a really small cubicle with sound equipment all over the walls and ceiling. It's homely.

The screen on my laptop flashes yellow. It's telling me that Marco is on line five and he's waiting for an overseas escort to show him the meaning of a French welcome. I grab the mouse and move the cursor to the pass button. I don't know any French. But before I do I glance at his rates, and maaaannn….that's a nice figure. It makes sense though, since his request is really specific. Looks like this guy really wants to be in France…or at least an escort from France. But like I said, too bad I don't fit the requirements.

One click later and my laptop screen goes back to being normal light blue, just displaying the time now.

Its 8:07 now. Where is that damn bastard….

Okay, you know what.

I'm starting to sound like a girl getting stood up.

And let me tell you, I am NEITHER of those….So here - have a story about my life and etc, etc.

Let's date back to several weeks ago…

I'm standing in my pajamas in the middle of my apartment. - _My freezing cold apartment that isn't even really mine._ - And I've been awake for a while now, but for some reason my hair always makes it look like I just got out of bed. And I'm cranky because I haven't eaten breakfast yet and I don't know how to feed myself properly so I probably won't today. Sigh.

But back to the story - I'm having a staring contest with these three hideously white stacks of paper that are defiling my kitchen top. And okay, it's really my brother's kitchen top. And yeah, all stacks of paper look the same – but I like to degrade things that cause me trouble in my mind. Because let me tell you…they are winning this ridiculous stare down.

The first stack is complied of handwritten letters and postcards from my dearest brother. They read:

_Dear Roxas,_

_Blah blah blah, I miss you a lot, blah blah, how was your summer? Blah blah, I can't believe you're so grown up now even though I'm only one year above you and we've been growing up together for the past 18 years so I don't really see how I could have NOT noticed you growing up too, blah blah, as if people grow up at different speeds or something, blah de blahh…._

Okay, so that was actually my commentary and not the letter. But trust me, you don't want to know what my brother really wrote…

_Blah blah…insert some brotherly talk about me leaving the nest. _

Which is just a load of more crap because I'm only leaving the "mother nest" to move into the "brother nest." I'm not really going anywhere. Both residential wise and fulfillment wise. I'm stuck.

I write back telling him that the apartment reminds me too much of him for my own taste and that his boyfriend keeps smothering me with college advice. It's like I'm living his life for him while he's out of the country. So to be fair he better let me live vicariously through him too, so he better have a lot of fun.

Yes, that's right. I told him to have fun for my sake.

And what does my brother think of this?

_Oh Roxas, NASA is so much fun! Blah blah blah!Nhrrrroooowwwww! Airplane noises!_

Yeah, he's too busy playing space cowboy to worry about me.

The only indication he gives is the last line. The feeling I got after reading that still gives me chills today.

_Roxas, don't forget to pay the bills._

_XOXO_

_Your loving brother, Sora _

Because the next stack of papers are just that. The bills. Goddamn the bills. I have the apartment rent and utility, the phone bills, the college tuition for this semester, the payments for textbooks I'll probably never read….they just don't stop piling up.

_P.S. Good luck on your job! Haha, not like you'll need it._

Actually Sora, I _did_ need that luck.

I wonder if you can guess what the third stack is?

It's really only one sheet of paper, and it's my termination report. Termination. Report. Because "You've been terminated" sounds nicer than "You're fired." Something about passive tense, but it doesn't change the fact that-

I got fired last week for the _first _time! Like what the hell! I have never, ever been fired before!

Yeah, I know. That's what "first time" means, but you know what – I get repetitive when I get angry.

And this is where we get the BIG MISUNDERSTANDING NUMBER ONE.

My brother thinks I still have a job and can pay the…well basically the "everything." But I don't, so I can't, so I'm screwed. Like so fucking screwed, if I can't find a job that pays just as well as my last one – which wasn't very much now that I think about it-

But I've tried every occupation board and job listing site already and got nothing. Absolutely nothing. – Damn, I'm repetitive - I guess a job shortage shouldn't come as a surprise in a college town, but goddamn it. I've never had problems like this before! I've had tons of summer jobs and I never got fired from any of them. Sure they were for stuff no one else wanted to do, like beat a bunch of annoying bees with a bat or push garbage up a hill…..but with work experience like that, I thought I was _golden_.

I guess not, huh?

So here's the next picture.

Me, again, standing in the lobby of a recording building with a cardboard box of all of my stuff. I was just an intern for them, so it wasn't really much. If anything this box was is filled with stuff that _isn't_ mine, as in CD's I got for free for working with this company. They're pretty nice. Wish I could make my own one day, oh wellllllll.

Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to spill my dreams all over you. Here, let me tell you the rest of the story.

So I'm in the lobby and I'm doing that awkward dance where you have both of your hands full but you need to open the door and _nobody_ is around you to help. Yeah, what the hell. And there's a camera pointed at you from the corner so now the security guards are probably laughing at me or something.

But anyway, I've got the box balanced on one knee and my fingers wrapped around the handle and I'm about to leave when I remember I've left something really important in my recording booth.

Jus t kidding, I don't get a booth.

Or an office, or a cubicle…I get the 5th floor front desk because I'm a receptionist. I might look like a jaded teenage boy, but apparently I sound like a girl on the phone.

Man, I hate my life.

So I breathe a great sigh, let go of the door, and set the box down on one of the plush armchairs in the lobby. Then I get back in the elevator, hit that lucky number 5 and up, up, up I go to the place where I got fired from again.

Except I was dumb and hit the button for the 6th floor instead.

But I don't realize this until I get off the elevator and walk around their lobby – which looks exactly like the main lobby and the 5th floor lobby. Because all the furniture in this building are exactly the same and they're arranged in the same suffocating, corporate way.

And of course I think that _this_ front desk is _mine_ so I walk over to it and start rummaging around for my stuff and of course I don't find it because this _isn't_ my desk.

BIG MISUNDERSTANDING NUMBER TWO comes right here.

I'm kinda angry that I can't find anything that's mine so I start thinking that maybe in the 40 seconds it took me to go downstairs someone might have been impatient to get rid of me and thrown it away. And then replaced it with all of this girl stuff like pink lipstick and fashion pins and never mind the fact that none of these supply faxes are mine.

"Excuse me, Sir," says an unfamiliar feminine voice, "But can I help you with something?"

And that's when I realize the shit I'm in.

I immediately drop whatever I'm holding – which is actually some eyeliner and now I feel really awkward for picking it up in the first place – and turn around to find someone who looks a lot like the girl my brother used to date.

"Um…"

I am quite intelligent around girls.

She's trying to hide a giggle, "Usually when I ask people that, I'm the one behind the desk," she turns her head to the side and gives me a playful, yet stern look, "and usually they're on the other side of the desk, too. May I ask why it's reverse this time?"

"Sorry," I say, and I'm probably making a really dumb face too. "But what floor is this?"

My face is probably something like the one confused people make when they realize they're in the wrong, but they still want to know what the hell is going on anyway. Luckily she seems to be understanding and overlooks it.

"You're on the 6th floor, maybe you're looking for The Katz' Kink?"

"Um…"

Okay, that's a really weird name for a company.

But if I say no, it's going to sound even weirder since I'm here on this floor and ransacking her desk and everything. Man, I feel so embarrassed and I'm trying to keep from blushing but I can already feel my cheeks heating up a bit. The fact that she was taking my hesitancy in stride should have been a hint for me…but at the time I completely missed it.

She cocks her head to the side and puts her hands on her hips in an expectant manner.

This girl, I don't know who she is, but she could be Kairi's sister. She's got some funky, medium length, pinkish red hair. Pretty stylish. Her tips kinda curl at the end to frame her face, and her bangs just fall into her eyes in a really cute way.

I think I'm staring.

"I also think you're trespassing…"

Ahahah, that part too.

"Sorry," I apologize for the second time.

There's a moment where we both kinda fake a laugh and then switch places. She's messing with the stuff on her desk and I….I scratch the back of my head sheepishly and look away, but when I finally make eye contact again the girl is still waiting patiently for my answer. She's almost desperate and I feel bad without knowing why at all because I really have no reason to. It wasn't until several days later did I realize what she had roped me into…

"So, are you here for The Katz' Kink? Is it the audition?"

That word. Audition. Something in my brain clicked at that moment and I realized that this was my way out. This company was in need of someone and maybe they would offer me a job if…

"Yea – yeah I am! Is this where I sign up?"

And then her amethyst eyes sparkle and suddenly there is hope for me yet.

Or so I though.

Because really this was just BIG MISUNDERSTANDING NUMBER THREE in the disguise of my older brother's ex's doppelganger.

It's 8:10 PM right now and I'm telling you about how I got this ridiculous job.

A minute later and it turns out I'm telling you about my life story.

The clock ticks again and I realized my "regular" still hasn't called me yet.

It's 8:13 PM and my screen just flashed yellow.

o.O.o

**Indigo:** Oh man, oh man, oh man, guess who shows up in the next chapter?

And guess who's excited about it? I'll give you a hint, this same person is incredibly excited at all the feedback she's been getting for this story as well. Thanks a lot you guys!

P.S. free points to anyone who can guess her.

Review?


	3. THE COLOR OF YOUR

**Indigo:** You don't even want to know what happened, but here's the next chapter, heh heh.

Also, just because I've uploaded this, it doesn't mean I've finished replying to every previous chapters' reviews yet. I actually like to read the reviews multiple times before replying, so I end up getting a huge backlog when it comes time to submit another chapter.

So don't worry folks, your reviews have been read, and will be dutifully replied to within the coming days :D

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Roxas, or Axel – just this very strange plot.**

o.O.o

**CHAPTER 3: The Color of Your…**

o.O.o

Let me tell you something about Lea.

First off, yes…that is a girl's name.

Second, he's not actually a girl.

And third, I have no way of actually confirming this, but I'm going to assume that Lea is a complete and utter stud.

Furthermore, Lea has been calling me during all of my shifts at exactly 8 o'clock. Sometimes later, but never earlier. Because of this I've kinda taken to calling him Caller Number Eight. Sometimes I just shorten it to Eight.

Why?

Because Lea is such a girl's name that it's freakishly weird to call him that!

"_Destiny?"_

I mean, if you could just hear his voice…it's like…listening to fire crackle on fresh wood. You just get this nice warm feeling, I don't really know what else to compare it to….Kinda like how the sound of burning wood in a fireplace will lull you to sleep and then you're all warm and cozy. And once you're at the brink of oblivion, the vapors trapped inside timber bursts and you remember that he's still talking to you.

"_Yo, Destiny…you still there?"_

I don't know what I just did right there. I think that was poetic shit.

Let's try this again. Lea has a really manly voice.

"_DESTINY. GODDAMMIT. I'M SORRY I CALLED LATE, JUST TALK TO ME ALREADY!"_

Aforementioned voice is also currently being ignored by me right now. Because if he thinks he can just call me anytime he wants to, well then he is not getting a date with_ this_ Destiny.

Regardless, I was talking about how he sounds. His voice is like…the kind you have when you're really full of yourself and you want everyone to know that, and you're well aware that everyone knows that you know that….well you know. Like his cockiness just oozes out into everything he says. And he's got this really strange pitch in his voice. I've never heard it before.

"_Hey, if you don't respond – I'm going to start crying, alright?"_

This is also the part where I admit that I have never heard Lea's crying before. This might be interesting.

"…_Destiny?"_

I will also admit that I have never heard Lea's real voice before either.

"_Shit, babe…"_

Nor has he ever heard mine.

At the sex hotline company I work at, to protect the identities of our employees and customers, we have a voice changer logged in every computer. It's not perfect. In fact, it makes everyone sound a little robotic and it's kinda weird.

"_Christ, I can't believe you're going to make me cry…"_

But it's probably for the best. Imagine how awkward it would be if you were just minding your own business and then suddenly heard one of us? Like you're at the grocery store trying to buy some cereal and the cashier guy rings you up and says "Is that all?" and you realize he's saying it the exact same way as your sex-talker. And then as he helps you carry your groceries to your car and you say something dumb like "You can put it in the back," and he realizes that you're his regular.

There are only two outcomes to this story.

Either the both of you feel super awkward and you never shop at that store again and he'll never offer to help carry things.

Or both of you will exchange numbers, call each other up for real this time, and then reenact everything that's been said on the phone in person like having mind-blowing sex or-

"_At least say something, baby…are you that mad at me?"_

This is also the part where I admit that I really don't like it when he calls me baby.

Because once he's drops that word I'm pretty much a puddle of goo.

It's a really dumb mental mind trap that I've caught myself in – but I just don't know what to do when I picture someone like _him _calling me _that_…I mean he's a _sex god_. And he's calling me _his _baby. Like I'm someone really important to someone as…..not that it'll ever happen in real life or anything.

"**Yes, I am!"** I reply huffily.

Sigh, so much for the silent treatment. I didn't even last two minutes…although I usually don't last very long with Eight anyway. And you can take that any way you want.

"_Sorry, babe…"_

"**Stop calling me that!"**

"_I thought you liked it when I called you that?"_

"**I hate that."**

And then he laughs, and even with the voice changer it still sounds magnificent. It's like this earthly sound that rumbles deep within his throat. I can picture someone poking the fire with a pair of bronze tongs, turning the wood over to let the flames spread to new territory.

"_That usually means you love it, __**baby**__."_

I can practically hear him purring…it's a really nice sound. I almost want to forgive him. But Lea really likes to play cat and mouse so that means I need to drag this out for a little longer.

"**Well then I bet you really want me to say I hate you, huh?"**

Before I met – er…talked – to Lea, I was pretty bad at comebacks. I think I still am, but every conversation with him is like some verbal competition for who can degrade the other the most without actually hurting them. It's how couples banter. This is how we flirt. Not that we're a couple or anything.

So when the line goes silent on his side, I get kinda worried.

Did I say something to offend him? Because in the few months I've serviced him, I don't think I've ever done that. I don't think I've ever said anything to make him seriously mad. (Of course I would never upset a customer, but as you can probably tell, Lea is no ordinary customer…)

I fidget on my stool a bit and adjust the grip on my microphone. I don't really need to hold it since it hangs from the ceiling, but it makes me feel more comfortable, like I'm actually having a phone conversation when I have something in my hand. I stop myself from checking the volume for the fifth time to see if I had accidently muted the other line.

But the light is still on. The conversation is still going. And Lea still hasn't said anything yet.

Right as I'm about to change the topic he says…

"_Destiny,"_ in this really sad melodramatic voice, it's almost as if he's sighing, I've never heard him speak like this before,_ "I'm not sure what I would do with myself if you ended up falling in love with me."_

Well **that** certainty took me by surprise.

"_I'm not really that great of a person…I don't deserve you, so just don't ok?"_

Let me tell you something about Lea.

He's spontaneous.

One minute he's asking for some erotic kind of scenario, and then the next he suddenly asks for a romantic one while still miraculously being in character. He makes servicing him feel like I'm playing with an excited kid. I find it a feat just to keep up with his fantasies.

He's also reckless.

We go over the time limit at least one a week. But I feel bad hanging up on him without giving him his climax so sometimes I do overtime with him for free. It goes right out of my pay check and he's fully aware of it.

But he's definitely not….this. I don't even know what this is.

"**We'll you're definitely great in bed, I can tell you that much."**

He laughs, and it's not that impressive sound I'm used to. It's somehow broken. This isn't how a laugh is supposed to be like.

"_You've never even been in a real bed with me."_

I hear the sad chuckle again and it makes my insides sink. I don't know what going on. He's usually not like this. Actually he's never like this. Honest, this wasn't how I had intended to introduce him into my story at all.

I'm scrambling to think of things to say. Should I comfort him? Should I agree with him? My only job experience is to sleep with guys, not consol them. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now, so I keep my mouth shut in case he can hear the helpless in my voice.

Instead, all I say is **"Eight…"**

And somehow it's enough for him to continue talking. I'm so relieved that I miss what he says at first, but when I tune back in, his words catch me by surprise.

"_You know. Like, a real bed. Twin size, cotton sheets, plain linen and pillows."_

A real bed. He wants…me in a real bed.

I let go of the microphone, and it hangs there in front of me. I look past my desk, past all the sound equipment on top of it, and stare straight into the glass wall separating me from the rest of the recording room. But I don't look further than that.

Because against that glass I can see myself. I can see me in a too baggy t-shirt and cargo pants. Somehow the clothes make me seem even smaller than I really am. – I dully make a note of this for when I dress myself in the morning. – And this is what he wants.

Me.

This pathetic little me who's trying to hide beneath all his clothes.

He's still talking and instead of all the office decoration around me, I'm picturing that it's his room being reflected against that glass.

I'm in his room, in my oversized clothes and lack of confidence, sitting on his bed. His real bed. That's draped with warm-colored linen and matching pillows. Maybe that's where he wants me to be, and maybe that's where…

"_None of those king size, four poster, silk canopy and sheets, and more pillows than we can ever be consistent with, hahaha."_

And then his story breaks the illusion. Because suddenly the room I see myself in turns into the fabricated love mansion that's been so overdone with all my customers. It's tacky, it's gaudy, it's not real. I can't picture it anymore. So the daydream disappears and I'm left staring at myself – who's staring back at me in my reflected sound booth. I didn't understand him at first, but now suddenly I think I do.

"**I mean, I know you can definitely talk the walk…"**

I try to say reassuringly. Because I haven't said anything in a while. Because I feel like I need to say something, but that probably wasn't the best thing I could have said.

"_Yeah but someday, I wanna do more than that. I wanna..." _

Let me tell you something else about Lea, that I'm just discovering for myself right now. He never fails to take my breath away, so effortlessly. In times when I don't know what to say, he just says it.

"…_walk with you."_

I'm going to interrupt him now.

"**Goldenrod."**

"_What?"_

"**My bed, it's goldenrod sheets on foam."**

There's a moment's pause like he's not sure what we're talking about. But then he says something back to me and suddenly I feel like the mood has been lifted miles higher. He's back.

"_How many pillows?"_

He says it seriously. But I know he's not. This is his fake serious voice that he uses for corporate business fetishes or something like that. I mean, he might be seriously trying to picture himself in my room. But this whole business, it's not really serious.

"**Just one." **I reply.

"_Seriously?"_

Yes, I am being serious. But no, we're not actually…serious. I mean yeah I've honestly only got one pillow but, are we actually exchange details of our room?

"**There isn't much space on a twin size for more than one. And it's a really big pillow, too."**

"_So you like big pillows, huh?"_

Like I said, we're not really being serious here.

"**And apparently I like big egos, too, since I'm still talking to you."**

"_It's underrepresentation baby, not overcompensation."_

"**I'm surprise you even know what those words mean."**

He chuckled.

"_And your sheets?"_

"**Naples."**

"_Is that where they're from?"_

"**No that's their color. They're from Taiwan or something."**

"_Huh, what the hell is Naples…"_

"**It's like a light Maize."**

"_What?"_

"**It's a yellow, Lea. Everything on my bed is yellow."**

"_It must look like starshine."_

"**You mean sunshine?"**

"_Whatever."_

And then he pushes me back onto my own bed. He grabs a fistful of linen and examines it. _'It really is like sunshine,' _he says and drapes it over both of our bodies, covering us in sunlight. He smiles down at me, as he crawls up to my chest on all fours, and I smile back up at him, laying down contently.

"_I like your place,"_ he says in a dreamy, off-focused way.

I hug myself, pretending the baggy sleeves of my shirt are those same Naples yellow blankets. I'm trying to picture the warmth of my bed, the warmth of Lea's body. For some reason it's so much easier to pretend this time than it was for any other session before.

"**Thanks, can we go to yours afterwards?"**I ask, and for some reason I'm genuinely excited about it.

The thrill of letting him into my room, into my privacy, into an intimate part of my life that not many others have known about. And then letting him into my bed, under my covers, in my arms, under my clothes – it's intoxicating like it never was before.

"_I'll think about it,"_ he says, but he's chuckling.

He always takes my socks off last. _'What color were the rest of your pajamas?'_ he asks, and I tell him they were black and white. He asks me if they're checkered, like the majority of my clothing, and I laugh. No, they're plain black shorts, and a white shirt with black sleeves. And soon we're both laughing for no reason.

I'm telling him I have a blue lampshade with a star pattern next to my bed. He's telling me he's reaching out underneath the covers to turn it off. I let him. And then I finish taking off his pants because I realized I've been fairly de-clothed for a while.

He tells me I look beautiful.

I tell him he's never seen me before. And it's protocol that I never tell him what I actually look like on the job. He's got no idea what I look like.

So he tells me my room looks beautiful, instead.

I punch him.

But he just laughs.

o.O.o

**Indigo:** Sorry if anyone's upset that I didn't write the full scene out. I felt like it wouldn't have fit with the mood of this chapter – but don't worry there's more to come in future chapters! I mean it's kinda inevitable…

And yes, that is Roxas' actual room as per Twilight Town Day I. What an extraordinarily plain bed for an over decorated room, eh? And guess who shows up in the next chapter?

Hint: It starts with a 'Ri' and ends with a 'ku.'

Thank you for reviewing!


	4. PICK ME UP

**Indigo:** Hey look, I updated! It's a miracle right? Let's see if I can do it again...

No seriously, can I? I realized that the reason I used to be a lot more active on ffnet was because...I had a lot more correspondences on this site. I used to bounce ideas off of people and collab for fun and just rant and complain or fangirl or anything. I feel bad for not keeping in contact with all the wonderful friends I made here, but I wonder if anyone else gets this feeling? This nostalgia? This curiosity of what everyone's been up to now that years have passed?

Drop me a PM and tell me how you're doing. Maybe we don't have anything in common anymore...or maybe we haven't changed at all. We'll never know.

Or maybe we've never talked. I'm awfully shy, I don't really PM people unless they do it first, well then here's an invitation! Tell me what you liked about my stories, or what you don't, tell me to read yours, show me your tumblr, complain about formatting and the future.

This is story #1 getting updated in my quest to stop being a procrastinator…

**Disclaimer: Shut it.**

o.O.o

**CHAPTER 4: PICK ME UP**

o.O.o

There's always this awkward moment when my cell phone rings and I wonder what I'm supposed to do with it.

**Pick it up, duh.**

Yeah, I know. But it's weird, answering my personal calls at work. Especially when what I do for a living is taking "personal" calls anyway. But I still pause for a bit, after digging out my phone and flipping it out, and then just blatantly staring at the caller ID.

It's Riku calling.

And man, how weird would it be if I had to take a work call from _him._ Gah, I don't even want to think about it.

I press the talk button, hold it up to my ear, and then use my shoulder to position it there so I can finish typing up a progress report. "What's up Riku, you know I'm still at work right?" and then I shuffle some unimportant papers around near the receiver just for sound effects.

Ow, I think I got a papercut.

"Right," he says, and I am cursing to whatever god there is out there that Riku is gifted with a worship-worthy, manly voice and I'm stuck with a prepubescent one. If my boss ever heard this man, they'd hire him on the spot. "Just calling to remind you that I'm picking you up and we're getting your textbooks today."

"Ohhhhh yeah," I pluck my cell phone from its resting place and stare at it while I'm talking. The photo ID for Riku is a goofy one, which is why I can never take his calls seriously. I mean for godsake, he's wearing a silly hat complete with ears that we got at Disney World. (Yeah, when I said goofy, I meant Goofy.)

"You're picking me up in half an hour right?" I ask my brother's boyfriend. Who is perfect for him in every way. And very convenient for me in very, very platonic ways.

"Yeah, I'll be outside of your building. I'm timing you."

Click.

o.O.o

Everything gets finished up, filed away, and it's all very routine like. I double check the door to my office to make sure it's lock – it is – and then I start undressing myself. I think only one person has ever walked in on me like this before, but that's not important. Baggy shirts and cargo pants get replaced with neatly pressed business clothes and a tie I may have stolen from a previous co-worker. I try to fix my hair in the reflecting glass, try to fix it again, and then I give up. This hair is untamable.

When I walk out the door I look just like a regular intern at a socially acceptable institution. Which is kinda the point. I pass by some "offices," ignoring the sounds coming from behind the wooden doors with practiced ease. Wave goodbye to the girl behind the reception desk who got me this job, and then into the elevator, down to the first floor, and outside the glass revolving entryway is a Jeep.

Riku taps his watch impatiently. "Am I late?" I ask, and he makes a show of sighing exasperatedly.

"No, I'm just early," he says.

"Oh," I say, but inside my head I think:

RIKU WHY DO YOU MAKE EVERYTHING INTO A COMPETITION? YOU BASTARD.

"So who wins?" I'm asking, but I already know the answer. He's reaching around to open the passenger seat for me, helping me toss my stuff into the back seat. After reminding me to buckle up, he says "I do, of course, I got here first." I pretend to act interested. "What do you win?" He pretends to not act wildly interested like the little kid he is sometimes. "Well, I get to pick what music we listen to now."

He thinks I missed the smug look on his face as he's backing out into the road, but I saw it. I knew. He bought a new CD and now he wants me to listen to his god awful music and that's why he showed up early and Riku you bastard why are you so cunning…..

I cross my arms as I lean into the seat and just endure it.

o.O.o

The ride is filled with obligatory comments about our work life. Riku is a junior undergrad student at the same college as me and my brother, but he's in the medical program so I'll hardly see him – or so I'm told. Over the summer he's been helping out at the local hospital, doing pointless things like taking kids' temperatures and handing out lollipops – again, so I'm told.

I'm faking up some lie about how interning at the local music production studio cheapskate is really boring and I don't like talking about it and Riku, your music sucks let's listen to something else and what, no, I'm not changing the topic, what are you talking about?

"If you don't like it, you should just get another job," he glances at me before checking at his rear mirror. Riku doesn't know I lost my original job, that I'm actually a telemarketer for the adult industry.

"Talk for yourself," I retort, "Are you telling me you like working with little kids?"

His lips form a straight line and I think he's pouting inside, "I'm not just working with little kids, I'm saving their goddamn lives, Roxas."

I think I grumble something like 'And I'm sure they're very thankful for that…' but even I don't know what I'm saying. It doesn't matter anyway because we're here at the used student bookstore already. I get out of the car and as soon as the passenger door closes I hear Riku automatically locking it behind me. Creepy or coincidence?

"We're here," he says.

"I know," I say.

I just liked ruining his moments like these. I'm already walking past him and into the building, but he's still outside announcing his grand entrance with a hair flip. But then again if I had silver hair that caught sunlight, well moonlight, like that…nevermind. I will not lower myself to his level.

The bells chime as I walk inside, taking in the sight of a regular bookstore, albeit filled with only textbooks of various wear. I pull out my list of books and just wonder…is this store organized like a regular one? Do I just look for authors? Or do I go by classes? It's all alphabetical right?

Someone nudges my side and it turns out to be Riku, _purposely bumping into me_ as he strides in oh so confidently into the direct interior lighting of this place. Hands on his hips, he pauses to give me a three-fourths look over the shoulder, "Do you need any help looking for your books?"

It takes a lot of effort to not curl my hands into fists or kick him like a silly kid in the waiting room who got the grape flavor lollipop. "Oh no it's okay Rikuuu," I think I do something stupid with my right hand, like one of those sassy gay friend gestures in the air, "You go on ahead. I'll figure this out."

Riku smiles and I get a glimpse of his perfect teeth, "Cool, whoever gets all of their books first wins the right to pick where we're eating for dinner."

_Not this again…_

He points to an information booth, "you need a store card from there," and then his finger travels to an unseen place on the other side, "and you need to check out at that register." Before waiting for me to even protest, he moseys away into another aisle.

At least he didn't want me to do something stupid like touch a book on the top shelf. Seriously, what is it with Riku and these games….I bet he's probably keeping score. I bet I'm losing, badly.

o.O.o

Picking out used books is hard, but I think I'm at an advantage here. See Riku is probably taking forever, going through each book, looking at each page, trying to find the newest of the old – but I don't really care what condition my book is as long as I can still read it.

That being said, I need to get some English required reading books, a math textbook, and some psychology books. Why psychology? So I can analyze what the hell Sora and Riku see in each other – I mean the only reason I think they're perfect for one another is because I don't understand them at all and they both get on my nerves.

And of course, it's just fitting that the very first textbook I need is on the very top goddamn shelf.

Dear divine beings watching over us, I know I am short. You don't need to test my knowledge of my own height. I'm aware of it.

The sneaky glances I give to both sides of the aisle would have probably given me away anyway as I brace myself for a jump. My fingers barely brushed the spine of the book, but I think I can get it if I try again. And again. And again.

That's not working. Okay, let's try parkour! I grip the higher shelves and steady myself as I climb up. I'm on the second level when I realize how stupid this is. Why am I climbing a bookshelf in the middle of the store instead of just asking someone to help me get this book down?

Because Riku is a bitch and he'll call me out for getting assistance and cheating.

And because it would take too much time to run to the information both because I did that already to get my card and _ohhh shit that was a book and not a shelf….gah!_

"Gotcha!"

All I remember is the strange bumpy texture of the ceiling as my vision shoots up, the weight of the wrong textbook in my hand, and the incredibly warm piles of clothing that seemed to have caught me.

"You alright kid?" and now I'm consciously aware of a voice I've never heard before.

And somehow connecting a face to that voice just made it sound so much more…sexier. I didn't hit my head, right? This guy really has flaming red hair, right? And those things on his face above his eyes – oh wait, I guess they're really below his eyes since I'm upside down – what are they, tattoos? And oh my god his eyes!

"Urhhhh…" I think that's what I said. I'm not really sure what I'm thinking…or saying…or anything, honestly. I think I might seriously need…

I'm suddenly right side up, standing and leaning heavily against the bookshelf I just tried to climb behind me, and my vision is still doing circles around the room but I think I'm going to be okay now. I think I…nope…not yet…wait, yeah okay I can see properly now!

But then the guy taps me gently and somethings explodes behind my eyes again.

"Owwwffft."

"Shit, sorry. Did you hit your head?"

I think I can talk now, yeah let's try talking.

"Um, duh, well yeah. I probably hit it on your chest," I point to said chest, "You're so freaking skinny I probably hit it against your bony ribs. Those things are hard, man."

He stares at me, with his ridiculously pretty emerald eyes. A red eyebrow – so he's a natural right? – slightly skewed up, he's probably trying to figure out if I need to go to the hospital.

"You need to like, eat some food," to prove my point I give his ribs a knock with the back of my knuckles. A hollow sounds emits, I have no idea what that means. Is his chest empty? Is he heartless? Or does he just have really good bones with a solid calcium intake?

"Also, you're really hot," is what I think I just said…

At that his eyebrows shoot to near his hairlines. It looked like he was going to touch me before, to maybe steady me because I'm still wobbly, but now his hands are just awkwardly placed in midair.

"W-What?"

The knuckles on his chest turn into a flat palm and I'm pretty much rubbing them into his shirt. There's all this heat coming out of him, like a furnace. Maybe it's because he's wearing all these goddamn layers of clothes. Or maybe he swallowed a fire. It's the middle of summer and he's got a jacket on – that's freaky. But speaking of freaky, I think I'm freaking him out, I must be doing something really stupid because if I can freak a guy like him out - red spiky hair, tattoos, is that a piercing? – I must be…

"You're really warm, like burning up. This is not the right temperature a person should be. Do you need to see a doctor?"

Maybe I need to see a doctor…I need to vomit.

"Do _you_ need to see a doctor?" he asks, genuine concern laced with some precaution.

Whoaa, it's like he's a mind reader. Maybe he already knows everything about me, like how I have really bad vertigo and motion sickness. And every time I get dizzy spells I kinda lose consciousness and just say stupid things.

"Who me?" I point to myself, or the direction I think myself is in, "Nah, I already live with a doctor, I'll be fine." The guy looks at me like I just admitted that I live in an insane asylum. "Oh hey, maybe I should take you to see him. He can figure out why you're so hot."

And then my vertigo ends and I realize what a stupid thing I've said.

"Oh…shit."

To his credit, the guy just starts laughing, he's bent over and red face like this is the funniest thing that's ever happened to him. Well, just so you know, this is the most embarrassing thing that's ever happen to me…

I bury my head in my hands and just wish that…maybe if I sneak away now, he won't notice. He's making a lot of noise, he won't hear my footsteps…ah, but I still need that textbook if I need to beat Riku and –

"I have never seen anyone…do what you just did there," he says, wipes some tears away from his face, "The climbing, the talking, the…you didn't even hit your head that hard." He smiles and extends a hand to me, "Are you conscious now, can we introduce ourselves?"

I take his hand and I think I'm smiling, or maybe I'm grimacing, oh god I don't know anymore, "I'm conscious. I mean, I'm Roxas! And I uh…get motion sickness sometimes." I scratch the back of my head sheepishly, "Usually I just pass out, but sometimes I'll just…babble and say, really, really dumb things."

He laughs again and pats me on the head, damn our height differences! This man is like lanky skyscraper! I must have winced or something because he immediately withdraws his hands and puts them in his pockets. The pockets of his outer jacket, because I just realized that he is wearing _two_ jackets in 90 degrees weather.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have done that. Especially not after you told me you have motion sickness," he takes in a huff of air and looks me straight in the eye, "I'm Axel. I'm working here over the summer. If you need a book, please call for assistance instead of trying to get it yourself."

"…Oh."

"Or at least that's what I'm supposed to say to all the customers," he smiles again, more brilliantly this time, "do you want my help for the rest of the textbooks or should I let you continue haphazardly climbing my shelves?"

What kind of a question is that, "Won't you lose your job?"

"I'm the only one working the night shift. And besides, it's kinda entertaining watching you."

I'm pouting, "Thanks for saving my life, but I don't want to be your entertainment."

"Fair enough," he walks away and I feel like I need to follow him so I do.

Then he stops and gives me a mischievous wink. Is he hitting on me? This soon? I mean if he wanted to use a pick up line, the opportunity for it kinda passed when I fell on him. Or maybe when I forwardly felt him up. But then the next thing he says stops me in my tracks.

"You know, Sora never told me he had a little brother."

o.O.o

**Indigo:** Hoho, cliffhanger! Again! Am I getting predictable? If so, maybe I'll go and update Switch It Up and surprise everyone…

Anyways, story wise at least, I just remember getting annoyed at how Riku would beat me in EVERYTHING in KH1 and he would taunt me by keeping score. WHY DO YOU DO THIS. And how in KH2 Roxas faints like every five minutes and then has hallucinations. Yeah! Why did I include all this in my story? I don't know…I just did. But it won't really be crucial to the plot, it was just for fun.

Also, I am serious about the review replying and the PM's and the catching up with everyone.

I'll start. I'll tell you someone about myself:

I can write (hardly) and I have some drawing skills. But I've wanted to be a part of an art project for so long. I just want to expand from just writing to something so concrete and visual. So if you're an artist and you need a writer for any purposes, like you want me to write a one-shot based on one of your drawings, you want to start a doujinshi and you need me to write plot...I just want some art in my bland life.

Or you can ignore the delusional thoughts of this writer and just review and tell me to hurry up with the next chapter :P

Review/PM?


	5. HELP ME OUT

**Indigo:** Did you know…that I actually suck at updating?

I accidentally submitted this under my Attention Attention fic instead of this one. So now everyone who has that under their alerts is going to get a false alarm and why am I such an idiot...

THIS IS AN EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT (READ: HEAVILY DISGUIED APOLOGY) FROM ME TO YOU.

o.O.o

**CHAPTER 5: HELP ME OUT**

o.O.o

I'd like to think that I'm _not_ an awkward person.

Instead, I'm probably just your regular ol' guy who finds himself in awkward situations.

For example, growing up I had three best friends. When puberty hit, aforementioned three best friends decided to have a love triangle.

Like seriously, guys? Of all the girls you had to fall for, you just had to pick the _same __one_? You know, the one we've all been hanging out with since _forever __ago_ and now you're _just _noticing her now?

And then she decides to tell me,

"Well Hayner is just gonna break my heart," and here she sighs like he's already done it, "And Pence is just…Pence, you know? They're both like brothers to me – I can't think of them any other way."

I pause before venturing,

"Oh well…does that mean you like _me_, Olette?"

She looks at me the same way you look at the person next to you, when you don't want to be their lab partner.

"No, Roxas, I just don't have any girl friends to talk to about this."

And then we reconciled over ice cream. But it was always kinda awkward still around them. I'm just the fourth wheel or something. Which should make sense, but it doesn't.

Awkward, right?

Then one day Kairi and Riku decided to take me out on a date before Sora's birthday.

"Roxas, what kind of stuff does Sora like?" asks Kairi, as she grabs my hand and tries to steer me into another store.

I spend the first half of the day alternating between holding her baggage as she tries on more clothes and commenting on knick-knacks she wants to buy. Well that sweater is cute, Kairi, but guys don't really wear sweaters anymore, you know? You can't make a fashion statement and be manly at the same time.

"Um, he likes…the color red?" I suggest.

She pauses for a second, then smiles as she twists a finger in her hair, "Oh, does he now?" And then she giggles.

I kinda just stare at her. What, are you going to give him your hair or something?

But shopping with Kairi is no where near as awkward as being in the same store as Riku. I don't even want to talk about it…he's just, an extremist when it comes to fashion.

Regardless, the point I'm trying to get at here is that despite being a fairly normal guy – I've had enough awkward situations in my life to not really be phased by things anymore. Yes, I'm always the bystander at affairs and unnecessary drama, but I've learned that that's actually the best position to be in!

Just go with the flow and everything will blow over soon enough.

So now I am currently standing at the cashier of a used bookstore, between a decently good looking guy who recently saved my life, and my stupid cock-blocking brother's boyfriend.

I am completely fine with it.

Seriously, I am.

Axel takes a book and swipes it under the scanner, he punches something into the machine next to it, then he places it in a bag. I'm watching him do this. Because I have nothing else to do, and I'd rather look at him then Riku – who is glaring at me right now.

That's right, bitches, I won the silly book contest.

"You cheated," he deadpans.

"I did not."

Riku indignantly crosses his arms and increases the intensity of his judgmental glare, silver eyebrows furrowing so deeply they appear gray.

"You cheated with him, I bet," he whispers.

And then it's my turn to stare at him. Did he really just-

"That'll be $365.20 please," says Axel a bit too loudly, making it's obvious that he can hear everything.

I give him my debit card, and shoot Riku a dirty look when Axel's facing the other way.

"Idiot, it's not like I asked him too, he just did it!"

Riku is still judging me.

"It's his _job_, he's _supposed _to help me. How is that cheaaaaaating?"

The silver-haired bastard is about to say something when-

"If you guys are finished with your lover's quarrel," interrupts Axel, holding out a bag with all my books in it, "I kinda have other costumers to attend to as well."

I look behind us and see a few other people, all politely ignoring the commotion Riku and I have caused. Well except for this one girl who is just blatantly staring at Riku like he's some godsend prince. I mentally stick my tongue out at her, sorry darling but he's currently banging my older brother.

After giving me my bag, Axel tells me that my receipt and card are inside, so I just nod.

And then I get the hell outta there.

o.O.o

I'm not even graced with an awkward car ride because the first thing Riku says after we strap in is "That fucking _ginger_ called Sora an airhead."

o.O.o

Okay, flashback time.

I have just fallen off Mt. Bookshelf only to be caught by the walking stick who works here and the first impression he has of me is a clumsy, vertigo-induced brat who's just told him he's probably anorexic and needs to go see a doctor. I should win an award for this.

I do. It comes in the form of a conversation and a very helpful tour of the store via Axel.

Annnnnnnd I have no idea if he's hitting on me or not.

"You both have this cute oblivious aura around you," he chuckles.

I think I say something dumb like, "Oh..yeah?"

Actually, that's probably what I said.

What does that mean…wait, does that mean I'm oblivious to it? Whatever it is? Does this mean he's right? So I am probably oblivious….

Hey wait, did he just call that 'cute?'

I look up at him the same time he turns around to me, a sort of half grin and raised eyebrow expression on his face like "is this kid for real?" He probably thinks I'm naturally blond.

He probably wants to find out too.

Or is that just my nonsense brain talking? I'll blame it on my sex hotline job. But then he pulls a book out of nowhere (also known as 'place I cannot reach with my height') and starts telling me how he once took a class with Sora. It was something about economics and apparently Sora was really bad at it because he just wanted to give all the money to the poor. But that would screw up the economy.

"Haha, yeah that sounds like him!" I laugh and accept the offered textbook.

This continues on for some time until I've gotten pretty much everything I need – in addition to learning a hell of a lot about Axel. He seems like the type to talk to his customers as he's helping them out, but then I wonder if this is the sort of thing he tells all of them…surely not all of them know he's a junior majoring in graphic design and living off campus and-

And why is he telling me all of these things?

"So where's Sora now, huh?"

"Hmm?" Oh, so I guess it's my turn to talk about myself, "Oh, he's studying abroad in Rocket Town."

"What's so great about Rocket Town?"

"It's got rockets and stuff, I guess." That doesn't sound helpful, so I add "He's doing the space program there for the semester."

"Space?"

"He wants to be an astronaut."

"…."

"Hey!" Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one allowed to judge my brother like that, "He won the International ShinRa Space Project Exchange scholarship! He's qualified to be there!"

And then Axel kinda trips over himself, "He won the..the what? That _airhead_ actually got something from ShinRa?"

Which was perfecting timing for Riku to walk by.

o.O.o

End of flashback.

"So how do you know Axel?"

"I just met him today, he was helping me get my books."

In my peripheral vision I can see Riku steal a glance at me as he's driving.

"What about you? Seems like you two know each other," I hope that sounds casual and not at all prying.

"He's in my year but we don't have any classes together," he pauses a bit like he's trying to think of the right words to say, but in the end all he tells me is "I just kinda know about him from other people."

And then the discussion dies.

"Hey, what do I win for finishing first?"

"Nothing, you cheated."

"I did not! I was using my resources! He was jus-"

"Fine, you get to cook dinner then."

"That's…actually better than having you cook dinner I guess."

"Touché."

The rest of the car ride is silent, but not so much the awkward kind. Riku hits the skip button until a song he knows we both like comes on and I'm drumming on the passenger door before I can even think about it. Without much of anything left to do, I let my mind wander over my day. Nothing exciting at work, interesting encounters in a bookstore, first day of classes looming closer…

I grab the bag pooled around my feet and search out the texts, checking their titles again just to have something to do. When I pull the first book out though, the store's business card falls into my lap. Staring up at me in fancy cursive reads "Merlin's Bookstore" and I think that's a…wizard hat?

Upon closer investigation I conclude that it is indeed one.

Then, out of habit, I flip the card over.

It takes me a while to realize that it's a phone number, scrawled in pen on the back.

o.O.o

**Indigo:** YES. THIS CHAPTER IS DONE. AND UPLOADED. THANK YOU.

First off, thank you thank you to everyone who reviewed and PM'ed and emailed me pestering me to upload this thing. I swear, every time I got a nudge I opened up this silly word doc and typed out a section and then called it quits and gave up until someone else poked me. I really couldn't have done it without you guys ;_;

Second, I am blown away by the number of old and new correspondences since the last time I updated. God, you guys…I mean yes, they all died again because I decided to drop off the face of the earth and I suck at replying/updating but…hey did you know alstarryn/Kisleth and I are planning a collab but I am a terrible person so progress is nonexistent? My fault. Entirely.

Also, yes Rocket Town is a real place…in Final Fantasy VII. I didn't just put two words together even though that's what it sounds like, and there are some more references in this chapter but you don't need to catch them all.

Part of me wants you all to review – but the other part really just wants you all to hit me and scream "WHY WASN'T THIS UPDATED AGES AGO?"

Feel free to choose whichever.


	6. LET ME IN

**Indigo:** WHAT'S THIS? AN UPDATE? WITHIN THE SAME MONTH? COULD THIS BE…

Yes it is! Have another (now belated) Christmas presents! Or whatever it is you celebrate, who cares – just take this gift! And to our special 100th reviewer: **Ninja Ris**, you get a gift-fic! Or at least the promise of a gift-fic in your name, because I have a tendency to never update anything in a timely matter.

**Disclaimer:** Oops, forgot a disclaimer last time, so just read this one twice! I don't own Kingdom Hearts, yeah!

Now shut up and enjoy!

o.O.o

**CHAPTER 6: LET ME IN**

o.O.o

Being a guy, I've never been asked out before.

I did ask a girl out once though, that girl was Namine. Blonde hair, blue eyes, freakishly pale skin, and skinny limbs – I can't help but think she looks a little bit like me. Like we're related somehow, in thought, feeling, heart…

Maybe that's why we got along so well.

Maybe that's why she dumped me unceremoniously a few months later.

"You're my best friend, Roxas. It's like nothing has changed."

And when I finally picked up the pieces of my heart, only to realize that they were all still perfectly intact, I understood what she meant.

It was a complaint about our relationship and a reassurance about our friendship.

"Yeah," I patted her head in a painfully brotherly manner, "I guess you're right, Nami."

o.O.o

Now this is a predicament.

I'm pretty sure there are standard steps to being asked out and how to respond accordingly. But I have no idea what those steps are. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, Namine was the only experience I ever had it turned into a devastating friendzone.

I don't even know…if I'm really being asked out?

The series of numbers on the back of this card stand out like some sort of graffiti, written in sloppy handwriting and haphazardly smeared on the back of a very professionally printed card. It could have been an accident, it could have been not for me.

Although I highly doubt that if it was from Axel, it would be for Riku…

…so it has to be for me right?

_Should I ask Nami?_

Maybe I'll think about this later. When I have time. After I calm down or-

My thoughts are interrupted when Riku knocks on my door and pokes his head in. I don't miss the way he scans the room before looking down at me. This is my brother's room.

I'm living here while he's away overseas. Unsurprisingly I've replaced most of his stuff with my own and tried rearranging the furniture, but somehow it still feels very…Sora-y.

I don't know if this bothers Riku or not.

"Hey," I venture.

"Hey, kiddo," he says back. "Thanks for dinner. I already took care of the dishes."

He steps into the room completely and settles down on a desk chair, I pretend not to notice that it originally belonged to Sora. It's just a coincidence, there's nowhere else for him to sit really.

Riku sucks in air through his teeth before continuing, he looks more annoyed than nervous, "So there's a party going on Saturday night…"

And for some reason the self-proclaimed king of suave is emphasizing all the _wrong _syllabus. I think he just got off the phone with Sora, I think I know where this is going.

"…There's probably going to be nobody your age there, cause you know, you're a freshmen. And there's going to be some drinking," he locks eyes with me and corrects himself, something he rarely does, "A lot of drinking."

A moment of silence passes between us where I feign intense curiosity, but not really.

"But Kairi will be there," he makes dismissive hand motion to the side, "and you know her so..."

Riku can be really convincing when he wants to be. But when he doesn't, this is pretty much what we get. Thanks Riku, your selling point for this party you obviously don't want me to go to is that I'll see _Kairi_ again? _Really?_

"That sounds really cool," and I make no effort to hide my sarcasm, "but I kinda don't do college parties, Ri."

He smiles, almost relived. "Yeah, I figured. But Sora-"

"I know."

And I do.

We look at each other for a bit, but neither of us are Sora, so we move on.

Riku laughs as he stands up, running a hand through his hair as he turns away from me to leave. But before he closes the door again, "Get some sleep soon. We've both got work tomorrow and the first person up gets to shower with hot water."

o.O.o

I didn't call Axel last night.

Nor did I call him today.

And it seems like the longer I wait, the harder it is to just press those goddamn numbers on my phone and call him already! Or maybe text him. Or something. Like, hey remember me? I'm that guy...from the bookstore…from yesterday. Great conversation.

Agsfdhjghjnblkfl/kd.

That's how our conversation would go if it was through text.

And then suddenly I found myself at work.

Too late to call him now, huh? At least that's the excuse I'm using now.

o.O.o

I say my goodbyes to someone who asked specifically for a blue-eyed blondie. I'm not sure why, since you can't really see me – but he adamantly requested for the caller on the other line be authentic.

Ohhhhhkay.

This is probably one of my worst work days ever, and that's really saying something for a Friday.

I just can't…concentrate.

And all of my _weird fetishes_ customers are calling me today. Why me…

"**Destiny, you still there?"**

"Wha- huh?"

"**Shit, am I really that boring?"**

"What? No! It's just…" Crap. I shouldn't have let my mind wonder like that in the middle of my job. Now Lea probably thinks I wasn't paying attention. Which is true but…ok, think fast!

"I was just channeling my inner dumb blonde. I've never tried ditzy before. Do you like it?"

"**Um. No."**

Okay, major fail. Should have thought that one out a little better.

"**Just be yourself, kid."**

And before I know it I blurt out, "You don't want me to do that…"

"**Why not?"**

That was a fast response. Guh, I need to get this together. I really need this job and now it's falling apart in just one day and oh wait Lea asked me a question.

"I'm like really, really awkward in real life." WAIT. THIS IS NOT WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO SAY. I could get fired for talking about my personal life! "In fact I shouldn't even be having this conversation with you."

"**Hey, I'm the one paying you to talk to me. If this is what I want to talk about, then it's fine right?"**

What am I doing wrong today?

I figured I should just give up and let Lea do whatever he wants, he's right. He's the customer and if he just wants to chit-chat like girls then fine.

"Sure thing. But if we're gonna talk about me, then we have to talk about you, too."

Lea laughs, a little strained. But maybe it's just my imagination.

"**Fair enough." **

And then silence.

I spin around in my chair for what seems like eternity, just letting the soles of my shoes scuff up the carpet. I think I start drumming on the table too, until I realize that Lea might hear that and get annoyed.

We basically start at the same time.

" I'm afraid of heig-"

"**I met this really cute kid yesterda-"**

More silence.

But I break it up immediately with a, "Oh yeah? You trying to make me jealous?"

"**Haha, yeah maybe. But I don't think I stand a chance with him,**" There's only a subtle change in his voice when he says, **"Plus I think he's already got a boyfriend."**

"That sucks."

And so do my amazing comforting skills. And this conversation. And this entire day.

"But hey, that's what I'm here for, you know?"

"**Yeah."**

"…"

And then silence.

Let's just get this over with.

o.O.o

**Indigo:** So I just realized that the bold and italics during the phone conversation are flipped from how they were in the third chapter. Hopefully I made it fairly obvious which ones belong to Roxas and which are Axel's. If not then trolololoololo! :D

Was this chapter short? Well the next one – if I ever update again – will probably make up for it. No fade to black scenes, you're all getting the real deal! Wink wink.

Those of you who follow my livejournal (read: all two of you…) will notice that I uploaded this chapter onto there first. In addition to this, I am currently revising my **Switch It Up fic** and will be posting the new chapters there instead. But not to worry, once I'm done with everything I'll replace what I have on ffnet with the newer version!

And to those who have livejournals and are not following me (read: everyone) I'll just post this here as well:  
SENGOKU BASARA KINK-A-THON  
January 1-7th  
My lack of updates will be justified through MasaYuki and KoMasa fics...maybe.

Okay, now go review!


	7. THEN SHUT ME DOWN

**Indigo: **Apparently I can only update on days when I least expect it.

I got writer's block like really bad, so people have been throwing prompts at me via PM and I've been sending silly things back! I feel like there's a better way of doing this so I made a tumblr account: 500daysofsoldier. Yes, I know. Just follow me. Don't judge me.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, but now I have more social networking medias than I know what to do with…

o.O.o

**CHAPTER 7: THEN SHUT ME DOWN**

o.O.o

He tells me to lean back, so I do.

"**Two fingers,"** he says. I try to imagine what that would feel like, Lea, inside of me, prodding around experimentally. I bite my lip and moan harshly into the phone.

He says my name, so I say his, and then he says **"Three."**

"_S-slow down!" _I'm begging him.

He chuckles and I almost drop the phone. Damn him and his voice.

I secure the receiver between my chin and shoulder, which frees up my hands for more dire matters. You know, being ambidextrous comes in handy when you're jerking off. There's a pun in there somewhere, but my mind is too hazy to figure it out.

"**You still with me?"** he asks.

"_Yeah_," I breathe, after a particularly long stroke.

He says something on the borderline of dorky and cool, like **brace yourself**. I think I might have laughed, but it comes out as a choke instead. I wait a while, I listen to the sound of his ragged breathing on the phone, I think about how it matches mine. We both sound desperate.

I close my eyes and tell him to _move_.

And then something strange happens.

Suddenly, the hands pinning me down become long slender fingers. The body above me is a thin wiry frame, and the jeans on his hips slide down to reveal incredibly sharp bones. But then I open my eyes and the figure is unexpectedly gone.

Luckily Lea doesn't notice.

"**Shit, Destiny, you're tight,"** He tells me.

I make a noncommittal noise distractedly, realize it wasn't sexy enough, and do it again.

Lea is too far gone to say anything about it. All I hear is him grunting on the phone, his groans are getting louder and faster, and he's telling me how good I feel around him. Usually this turns me on like nothing else, but for some reason…today it just feels a little off?

This is ridiculous, so I press my mouth against the receiver and give him my best porn star moan,_ "God, right there, Lea. Oh God, Le-aaah."_

And then I see him again.

Red hair, green eyes, and mischievous grin.

The moan dies in my throat, and gets reborn as a gasp, either way I get the breath knocked out of me.

Axel.

Goddammit.

Why do I keep picturing Axel when I'm talking on the phone with Lea?

When I'm having _phone-sex_ with Lea?

"**That was a pretty cute sound, am I that good?"** Lea asks, but I hear it in Axel's voice.

I see his face, his cheekbones, his tattoos, his burning eyes. They get closer to me and he's nuzzling my face, tickling my nose with his carmine spikes. I am literally frozen in my seat, unable to breathe, unable to respond back to whoever it is I'm talking to.

Who _am_ I talking to?

"**No answer, huh?"**

I don't know what to do.

This has never happened before. Usually when I'm taking calls, I'm just jerking off to some faceless hot guy or girl. They've never been people I've actually recognized before…

"**Destiny?"**

He sounds like he's close, so I tell him I am, too. But this isn't the case at all. It feels so incredibly wrong to fake an orgasm but that's basically what I did. For the first time on my job, I actually felt dirty. I was downright lying to people. But I couldn't get myself back up again, not after what my mind was doing to me. What was going on…?

My breathing doesn't come back until long after we've hung up.

o.O.o

When Riku picks me up I make it very clear that I do not want to talk.

_Because talking was what got me into this mess._

I throw my backpack under the seat and curl up against the passenger door. I probably look childish, but I've known Riku since forever so he probably doesn't care. He closes the window for me and turns the radio station to something low.

At the stop light he says something about his hospital shift, but ends it with a "Well I guess things like that just happen," which means I don't need to respond.

The rest of the trip is silent.

o.O.o

It doesn't occur to me to check my cell phone until I get back home.

Of course with the fiasco that I had at work, I should probably be avoiding all forms of communication in general. I flip the screen up and see two missed calls flashing back at me. Even for a Friday night, that's pretty rare. I don't usually get calls?

The first one is from Namine.

The second one is from Hayner.

I guess it really has been a while since I've talked to either of them. Namine is probably just calling to check up on me. She's afraid that if she leaves me alone for longer than a month I'll jump off a bridge or something.

Hayner on the other hand I had just completely forgotten about.

Ouch. I'm a bad best friend.

He had gotten into the same college as I did, but his parents are well off so he doesn't need to work over the summer. So while he's hitting up skate parks back at Twilight Town, I'm here taking sex-calls to pay for my tuition. I didn't think I was the jealous type, but maybe subconsciously I might have pushed him away.

I collapse on my bed, kicking my shoes off and debating about which one of them I should call back first.

_Bros before hoes_, says Hayner's voice in my head.

So speed dialing Hayner it is.

After a few rings my childhood buddy picks up with a "Where have you been, maaaan?"

It feels so natural to pick up where we left off that I can't help laughing, "Sorry dude. I've been constantly working my ass off here. And yesterday Riku took me to get some books. All my money – gone, instantly."

"Sad life, huh?"

"Definitely. We're not all smothered in inheritance like you."

"Haha, but even Olette knows when to take a break once in a while. Not like you, man. We haven't hung out in _ages._"

"I know," and I do, "I'm sorry," and I am.

"Whatever," he brushes it off instantly, and then his voice gets excited, "Hey you remember that I'm coming up tomorrow, right?"

"Huh?"

"You forgot?"

"Maybe, I've been…out of it lately."

"Idiot, tomorrow's move-in day. Pence and I are driving up tomorrow with our 'rents and getting our room assignments. You promised to help lug my stuff, remember?"

Kind of. I remember him telling me that the two of them were living in on-campus dorms and that they've be moving in this week. But I don't remember anything about helping them carry baggage…

"My dad's got a bad back and Pence's dad is basically as useless as he is. You gotta help me out here, Rox."

"How much stuff do you even _have_? Aren't you living in the dormitories? Those places have furniture already!"

"Did you forget how many video games we've collected over the past decade? Do you not remember waiting in line outside of skate shops and emptying our wallets at comic book conventions?"

He has a point.

"Okay, fine I'll help."

"Thanks, man," and this his voice drops down low because he's about to talk about something sketchy. It's amazing how well I can read Hayner, even over the phone.

"Do you know of any parties we can crash tomorrow?"

"Nope," I deadpan.

"C'mon. It's a _Saturday_! There has to be one!"

"None at all."

"Did you ask Riku?"

"…"

"I bet you Riku could get us into any party. I heard he's like the campus diva or something."

"Hayner, I have no idea what that means. And the only party I know of is some…super-cliquey reunion party thing that Riku and Kairi are going to. We're going to stand out like sore thumbs there as freshmen, not to mention everyone already knows each other!"

The other line is silent for a minute. I think Hayner is seriously considering crashing this thing.

I can already hear his shit-eating grin.

"Let's do it."

o.O.o

**Indigo: **Hohoho, you all thought that Roxas wouldn't be going to that party now – didn't you? ;D

But then again he might back out at the last minute! Or Axel might not be there. Or Hayner might just cockblock everything. Or things might happen. I AIM FOR UNPREDICTABILITY.

Also I don't really know how tumblr works, but some of you told me to get one so I did. (In case you missed it, I'm 500daysofsoldier and I'll be doing random prompts.) Reviewers, please teach me things. I know not how technology works.

I miss all of you.

p.s. First time writing phone-sex. Oh yeah.


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